Culture Sustainable Fashion The 7 Best Vegan Sandals of 2023 Slide your toes into cruelty-free sandals this summer. By Neeti Mehra Neeti Mehra Neeti is a freelance writer for Treehugger who covers sustainability and conscious living. She has edited three magazines during her career and she is currently a columnist and is a contributor to a host of publications. Learn about our editorial process Updated April 15, 2022 Share Twitter Pinterest Email Culture History Travel Sustainable Fashion Art & Media Holidays Community We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Come summer and it’s time to free your toes from the shackles of socks and shoes. Our beloved choice of footwear for warm weather, sandals, have been cooling our toes since at least 7000 years. Leather has been commonly the choice of materials for shoe making since prehistoric times, but that poses a challenge for folks who opt to avoid buying animal products. In recent times though, footwear has been toeing the cruelty-free universe. Whether you’re looking for wedges, platform heels, or just slip-ons, today you have a wide choice of animal-free, vegan options to wear as you to lounge in the sun. Ahead, the best vegan sandals. The Rundown Best for Men: Malibu Sandals Men's Canyon Classic at Malibusandals.com Jump to Review Best for Women: Matt & Nat ELYSA Sandals at Amazon Jump to Review Best Unisex: Nae Vegan Shoes Cork Slipper Sandals at Nae-vegan.com Jump to Review Best Platform: Bhava Lila Wood Clog at Bhavastudio.com Jump to Review Best Wedge: Matisse Sea Salt Wedge Sandal at Macy's Jump to Review Best Men’s Slip-Ons: Sanuk Beer Cozy 2 Flip Flop at Amazon Jump to Review Best Luxury: Piferi Fantasia at Piferi.com Jump to Review Best for Men Malibu Sandals Men's Canyon Classic 4.8 Courtesy of Malibu Sandals View On Malibusandals.com Step out in style wearing this engineered contemporary classic that’s inspired by a traditional Mexican sandal-making technique, huarache. We love the reimagined version of this classic weave. The sandals are constructed from vegan leather and are Peta-Approved, meaning they are vegan and cruelty-free. With a grippy outsole and an EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer that’s made into a foam sheet, which has multiple uses) footbed and midsole, they’re designed to be anatomically precise. Malibu Sandal’s recommend that you order a pair half a size smaller than your sneakers for a snug grip. A lovely tan color, they’re perfect for lolling on the beach or strolling down the boardwalk. Price at time of publish: $120 Best for Women Matt & Nat ELYSA Women's Vegan High Heel Sandals 5 Matt & Nat View On Amazon View On Mattandnat.com Montreal-based Matt & Nat extends its ‘live beautiful’ philosophy to the materials it uses to create all its vegan products, including a range of sandals. Our pick is the casually stylish Elysa sandal with 2.5-inch block heels. Perfect for a balmy summer night, it has a buckle strap and is available in basic black, or several other vegan suede and leather colors. Matt & Nat strives to design footwear that has classic designs that will appeal for many years, not just a single season. Price at time of publish: $95 Best Unisex Nae Vegan Shoes Bay Cork Slipper Vegan Sandals Courtesy of Nae Vegan Shoes View On Nae-vegan.com Slip on these sexy unisex minimalistic cork sandals by Portuguese company Nae (the name stands for No Animal Exploitation) with a clear conscience. They're very comfortable, thanks to the cork and natural rubber footbed that provides ample support to the arch with just the right amount of cushioning. The sandals are lined with a hypoallergenic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial microfiber that is OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certified, meaning it has been tested for harmful substances and is found safe. Even the sole is made from recycled car tires. The perfect his and hers sandals, apart from Bay Brown, its available in off white as well as black, made from Piñatex. Price at time of publish: $88 The Best Sustainable Sunglasses for Bright Days Ahead Best Platform Bhava Lila Wood Clog Courtesy of Bhava View On Bhavastudio.com Taking a compassionate view of design, Bhava constructs timeless, comfortable shoes from vegan materials. Its footwear is tested by navigating the trickiest of urban terrains—New York City. Sporting an insole made from natural cork and a wooden heel crafted by an artisan, the Lila clog personifies urban chic. The clogs are lined with a soft vegan eco-suede material and come with an extra detachable insole for added comfort. The clogs are REACH certified in Europe, meaning it has restricted human and environmental exposure to certain chemicals, and has no PCP, formaldehyde, PVC, phthalates, or azo-dyes. With a nearly 2.5 inch heel height, it helps you stand tall with nary a wobble. Price at time of publish: $265 Best Wedge Matisse Sea Salt Wedge Sandal 5 Matisse View On Macy's View On Matissefootwear.com The essential summer wedge ticks the right boxes of style, affordability and cruelty-free credentials. Peta-Approved vegan, the Sea Salt wedge has a cork footbed, fabric straps, a manmade outsole and a synthetic leather lining. These non-fuss wedges are easy to wear and you can pull them on without struggling with fastenings. Thanks to the natural-hued (it’s also available in black) straps style detailing, you can wear it to a brunch or a happy hour. However, the heels are a stratospheric 3.5 hich, so strut around in these beauties with care. Price at time of publish: $60 Best Men’s Slip-Ons Sanuk Men's Beer Cozy 2 Flip Flop 4.8 Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Paragonsports.com From outdoorsy footwear company Sanuck come vegan flip-flops made from recycled yoga mats. The soles have added arch support for a super comfortable slip-on sandal. The straps are made from synthetic leather with soft neoprene, and are connected to the sole with nylon webbing toe posts. You can even machine-wash these sandals on a cold cycle, but let them air dry. They're available in four colors, including dark brown, tan, black, and grey. Price at time of publish: $36 Best Luxury Piferi Fantasia Courtesy of Piferi View On Piferi.com Alfredo Pīferi, founder of the eponymous luxury 100% vegan shoe brand is obsessed with craftsmanship, functionality and sensuality of footwear. If you're looking for a strappy high heel that's black-tie ready, his Italian made Cinderella-esque Fantasia 100 sandal. Perched on a 100 millimeter Dali heel, it’s made from vegan Nappa, a bio-vegan material that’s processed from non-food, GMO-free field corn. The non-slip and durable soles are made from Thunit, which is a blend of rubber, inorganic mineral, and some additives. They’re stunning to look at. Slip them on and your feet will feel like a million bucks. Final Verdict We love Malibu Sandal’s Canyon Classic sandals that weave together style, tradition, and vegan fashion for men. For women, the cute and conscious Elysa sandal is our pick of cruelty-free summer footwear. FAQs Are vegan shoes eco-friendly? For many vegan shoppers, ensuring that their purchases are free from any animal products is the top priority for ethical reasons. However, not all vegan shoe materials are necessarily environmentally friendly. A widely used leather alternative in the industry is the petroleum-based plastic PVC or polyvinyl chloride, which has been called the “poison plastic” by environmental watchdog Greenpeace. Another choice is Polyurethane (PU), a synthetic plastic polymer, which is softer, more pliable and less toxic than PVC. Does eco-friendly vegan leather exist? Innovations continue in the world of vegan leather, with plant-based leathers becoming popular now. Such as Piñatex, which is made from pineapple leaf fibers; Desserto, which is made from cactus; and Mylo, that’s made from mycelium, the vegetative part of a mushroom. All giving a wide choice of materials for more Earth-friendly vegan sandals. Why Trust Treehugger? Treehugger wants you to put your best foot forward when it comes to choosing cruelty free fashion accessories which are also gentle on the environment. Our pick of vegan summer footwear keeps you covered from dawn to dusk in clogs that support your feet and have a conscience. To make this list, we reviewed each shoe's materials as well as the manufacturer's ethical standards. Author Neeti Mehra is a luxury-industry veteran who’s also committed to sustainable, slow, and mindful living. The 8 Best Eco-Friendly Slippers of 2023